How to use it
- 1Enter monthly views
Type or slide to the number of Shorts views you get, or expect, each month.
- 2Adjust the RPM
Start with the typical $0.04 and adjust if you know your channel’s RPM from YouTube Studio.
- 3Read the range
See your estimate alongside a low-to-high range based on commonly reported Shorts RPMs.
How YouTube pays for Shorts
Ads that run between Shorts in the feed are pooled, then shared among eligible creators according to their share of Shorts views. Creators keep 45% of their allocated revenue. The result is a much lower RPM than long-form video, which is why Shorts creators usually treat ad revenue as one stream among several.
RPM (revenue per mille) is what you actually earn per 1,000 views after YouTube’s share. CPM, which you may see quoted elsewhere, is what advertisers pay before that split.
Eligibility thresholds
To earn from Shorts ads you need to join the YouTube Partner Program. The full programme requires 1,000 subscribers plus either 4,000 public watch hours in a year or 10 million public Shorts views in 90 days. Check YouTube’s current requirements in YouTube Studio, as they change from time to time.
FAQ
How much does YouTube pay for 1 million Shorts views?
Commonly between about $10 and $70, based on reported Shorts RPMs of $0.01 to $0.07. Channels with US or UK audiences in finance, tech or business niches tend to sit at the higher end.
Why is Shorts RPM so much lower than long-form?
Shorts ads are shown between videos and pooled across creators, and viewers watch many Shorts per ad. Long-form videos carry their own ads, so they earn far more per view.
Is this calculator a guarantee of income?
No. It is an estimate for planning. Real earnings depend on eligibility, audience location, niche, seasonality and YouTube’s policies.